Few doctor’s appointments inspire as much anxiety as a trip to the gynecologist ― and Halle Berry says she’s no exception.
The Oscar-winning actor recently admitted to HuffPost that she didn’t always keep up with routine gynecological appointments.
“In my youth, because of the old speculum, I didn’t go every year. I’m just going to be honest,” Berry said. “I did not like it. I didn’t like white-knuckling it. I didn’t like how I felt.”
Now, as the mother of an 18-year-old daughter preparing for her first gynecological exam, Berry is speaking out about the fears that keep many women from seeking routine care.
“When I learned that 72% of women fall out of going to get their pelvic floor exam because they don’t want to go through the fear-induced, excruciating process of this very intimate exam with the old, outdated, antiquated speculum, I paid attention,” Berry told HuffPost. “When I researched this product, I realized this was actually revolutionary, and it could be something that could help women feel empowered and lean into their health instead of leaning out of their health, like so many women often do.”
Berry’s comments come as she partners with Nella, a women’s health company that developed a polymer speculum designed to provide a quieter and potentially less intimidating experience than traditional metal instruments.
But the fears she is describing are far from uncommon.
“Regardless if it’s part of the medical exam, it’s still an intimate exam,” said Dr. Tamika Auguste, a board-certified OB-GYN. “I think that’s where some of the angst is coming from.”
Auguste said anxiety surrounding gynecological exams often stems from a combination of cultural stigma, vulnerability and fear of what patients may learn during the visit.
“I think there is an element of shame around the pelvic area of a woman – whether it’s her vulva, her vagina, cervix, uterus, what have you,” she said.
Then there’s the exam itself.
“It’s uncomfortable. It’s not like, easy-peasy,” Auguste said. “Not to mention what could potentially happen ― you could be told you have an infection or you have cancer. I think all of that adds to the anxiety level for these types of exams.”
Many women have reportedly delayed or skipped routine gynecological care because of fear and discomfort.
Auguste said making gynecological care more comfortable is also an important part of encouraging women to seek care in the first place. From the growing use of plastic speculums instead of traditional metal ones to newer patient-centered products designed to give women more control over their exam experience, she believes these changes can help reduce anxiety and make appointments feel less intimidating.
At the same time, she emphasized that no woman should feel obligated to silently endure symptoms that affect her quality of life.
“Gone are the days where women should suffer through pelvic pain, suffer through menopausal symptoms,” Auguste said. “Come to your gynecologist and have a discussion about it. There’s no reason to suffer anymore.”
She added: “The gynecologist isn’t just for the wham-bam-thank-you-ma’am pelvic exam. It is for conversations to set you straight for your entire reproductive and post-reproductive life.”
For Berry, the conversation around pelvic exams is part of a much larger fight.
In recent years, she has become one of the most prominent celebrity advocates for women’s health, particularly around menopause and the lack of research dedicated to women’s bodies.
“We have not cared about women the way we should have,” Berry said. “We deserve more dollars, more funding, more education, more research, because we have a right to understand how our bodies operate and what’s best for us.”
In May 2024, Berry traveled to Washington, D.C., to advocate for increased investment in women’s health research. She famously stood outside the Capitol Building and shouted, “I’m in menopause!” in an effort to challenge the stigma surrounding a life stage that affects millions of women but often remains shrouded in silence.
Berry has also spoken candidly about her own experience navigating perimenopause and the frustration of having symptoms dismissed as a normal part of aging.
“How many times did I hear people say, ‘Well, that’s aging, you’re just getting old?’” she told HuffPost. “You didn’t tell men that. They got Viagra.”
That experience ultimately inspired her to launch Respin, a wellness platform focused on empowering women through midlife and beyond.
Today, Berry says having access to better information about her body has been life-changing.
“I feel better at 60 than I did at 40,” she said. “At 40, I was in perimenopause and had no idea. Now I know exactly where I am. I’m on the right hormones, and I feel amazing.”